Understanding the changes in Essential Skills Work Visa and Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) residence visa

The new changes in Essential Skills Work Visa and Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) residence visa is coming into effect on Monday, August 28, 2017.

In this regard, it is useful to understand key changes in these two visa categories.

Essential Skills Work Visa changes

There are three key changes to the Essential Skills work visa policy:

• The introduction of skill bands: Remuneration and the ANZSCO level of the occupation will now be used to classify employment into one of three skill bands (higher-skilled, mid-skilled, or lower-skilled).
• Three-year visas for lower-skilled employment: Essential Skills Work Visa holders will only be able to undertake lower-skilled employment for a maximum of three years. After three years they’ll need to upskill, apply for a different type of visa, or depart New Zealand for 12 consecutive months. The three years does not include time spent in New Zealand while holding a visa that was applied for before August 28, 2017.
• New criteria for bringing family:

• Lower-skilled employment: partners and dependent children will have to qualify for visas in their own right (unless they currently have visas based on their relationship).
• Mid- or higher-skilled employment: there is no change to the visas available to the family of workers in mid- and higher-skilled employment.

Skilled Migrant Category (SMC) changes

Key changes to the Skilled Migrant Category include:

• The points available for work experience, qualifications and age.
• The introduction of remuneration thresholds as an additional means of defining skilled employment.

• Jobs at ANZSCO levels 1, 2 and 3 must be paid at or above $23.49 per hour, which equates to a salary of $48,859 per year based on a 40 hour week.
• Jobs that are ANZSCO level 4 or 5 (or don't have an ANZSCO description) must be paid at or above $35.24 per hour, which equates to a salary of $73,299 per year based on a 40 hour week.

The changes do not affect those who have already applied under the SMC or have received an Invitation to Apply.